Have you considered?

Event organisers are required to hold a current policy of insurance in respect of Public Liability (and products liability where appropriate). It is advised that this should not be less than £5 million (per incident or series of related incidents).

To help ensure your event occurs as safely and smoothly as possible, it may be helpful to create an Event Plan and Event Safety Plan. These should take into account everything from timescales, inclement weather arrangements and emergency procedures to crowd control, site plans and clean-up procedures.

A Public Entertainment Licence may be required if your event is open to the public and involves music, dancing, singing or other entertainment. An Alcohol Sales Licence may also be required if your event includes alcohol. If licences such as these are required, you must obtain written approval from the relevant local authority department.

Have you visited the site of your event? Walking the route may highlight issues or other considerations you may not have thought about, such as the need to open towpath gates or manage choke points or road crossings.

Do you need marshals or stewards to manage crowds or guide participants at your event? If you’re expecting to attract a large audience or number of competitors, or your route crosses roads, the use of marshals can ensure your event occurs safely. Properly briefed, they can also help with your emergency procedures. If you do enlist the aid of marshals, make sure they’re easily identifiable – high-visibility vests or armbands will help. Marshals under the age of 18 must be supervised by an adult.

Scotland’s canals are more popular than ever, and hosting events puts a strain on both the built heritage of the 200-year-old structures and Scottish Canals’ limited resources. Your support will help protect the incredible environments of Scotland’s canals, safeguard them for future generations to enjoy and ensure they continue to provide great venues for all kinds of community and charity events.

We can help you promote your event on our website, letting the thousands of people that visit us and follow us on social media know what’s happening on a canal near them – and, best of all, it’s completely free.

If your event is near a canal but not on Scottish Canals’ land or water then you don’t need to apply to us to hold an event. Instead, give us the event details and we’ll promote it for free!

Safeguard our canals for future generations to enjoy

Our waterways are more popular than ever, and hosting events puts a strain on both the built heritage of the 200-year-old structures and Scottish Canals’ limited resources. Your support will help protect the incredible environments of Scotland’s canals and ensure they continue to provide great venues for all kinds of community and charity events.